11 posts categorized "Space"

November 19, 2010

The above photo "Comme dans un tableau" — like in a picture — is one of many different images located in the online gallery of Laurent Laveder. Based on viewing his work, it looks like he often photographs life on earth during the evening and nighttime.

You can purchase the book Quartier Libre by Laurent Laveder and Sabine Sannier — featuring moon-inspired writing from nineteen authors — here.

July 23, 2010

As I follow astronauts like Mike Massimino on Twitter as they tweet from space, it's easy to learn bits of what life is like beyond Earth's atmosphere.

Before Internet access and the development of Web 2.0 and social media, there were few widely available, multimedia records of the astronaut experience. Below is a compelling video clip from the documentary For All Mankind, directed by Al Reinert with a musical score by Brian Eno and originally released in 1989. (Its re-release on DVD is now available.) In a 2009 article, Reinert explained his focus behind the movie:

What I wanted to do was make a film that communicated what it felt
like to go to the moon. Really put you in the shoes of the astronauts.
That's still the kind of movie that I would want to watch.

March 04, 2007

We saw red,Red above us where white should be —Or at least gold or silver —But not this odd crimson,So like a muddy river's bankWhose clay swirled round our ankles —Liquid rust which disappeared our feet.

As this creeping celestial ooze masked Night's comforting face,We looked at each other,Imploring, blaming, hating:Not enough sacrifice at harvest?How could you have been so neglectful?Have you looked at us with evil eyes,And who has looked that way at you?Which deities have you angered?

Yet we found no fault in each other.So, with no one left to curse,We each turned inward,Closed our eyes,Breathed,Cried,And became as silent as the stones piled around our lunar temple.

"Mother!"A shout woke us from our penitenceAnd we again stared skyward.We could see her,Peeking cautiously,Smiling at seeing us gathered.

Perhaps a water deityHad flown on an owl's wingsTo wash away her siltAnd our failures.

February 13, 2007

The Astronomy Picture of the Day site has a crystal-clear mission: "Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is
featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."

What is happening in this picture? Click on the image to get a better view. Here's what you will see (description and all links from the APOD site):

Some of the images are so stunningly beautiful that I cannot believe they are real. Others left me speechless and longing to wander our planet and surrounding stars. Check out February 8th — "Galaxies Away" or February 3rd — "Alborz Mountains in Moonlight."

Look at these whenever you need a little inspiration, a break from visual clutter and media spam, or a reminder of how vast our universe truly is. These images could also be used as writing prompts.

If you have an image that would fit with this site, NASA takes submissions!

February 06, 2007

I had planned this post well in advance of today's bizarre astronaut news (I'm not linking to it — it's all over the Web). The irony of the article I'm noting is that it further confirms this: underneath the outer persona of a heroic space explorer is a human being with vulnerabilities and flaws like the rest of us — those who've never set one foot beyond the stratosphere.

An editorial at the Frederick News-Post describes the basic human need to write and how NASA uses journal writing to help the astronauts process their experiences and scientists understand more about space effects on humans. Here's an excerpt:

For NASA astronauts, instructed to keep a journal while living in
the international space station, their scrawlings may give insight into
how to make their jobs safer, according to the first story we read.

"They
write about their moods, their whines, how they feel, what they miss,
whether they're sick of the food or aren't getting along with their
roommates up in space," said the story from The Associated Press.

At
the risk of sounding like high school students complaining about their
teachers or kids who don't like them, the astronauts are encouraged to
put it all down. Their words are later reviewed by a researcher on the
ground who wants to see what happens when a person is confined with
just two other people for six months, 220 miles above the Earth. It's
hoped the data will help NASA as it trains astronauts for longer stays
in places like the moon or even Mars...

September 14, 2006

I'm not that into news round-ups on blogs mainly because there is already so much news EVERYWHERE. But there were so many interesting pieces today on some of my favorite topics that I thought it'd be fun to do a little roundin' up myself (my headlines in boldface).

"First off, while some reporters produce perfect copy that barely needs editing, you should see some of the drafts from other reporters. I won't name any names, but let's just say that some of our most enterprising and dogged reporters aren't necessarily as talented in the writing department, while some of our most skillful stylists aren't always the most successful reporters. Not everyone can do it all, especially since the reporting and editing process is demanding work under intense deadlines. (Plus, the workload is only getting more challenging, with reporters contributing to our Web site around the clock.)"

4. Science fact sounds a lot like psychedelic science fiction.The key phrases from this article could easily be adapted into another verse for "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." Enormous puffy planets floating in a cosmic bathtub? Trippy.Puzzling Puffy Planet, Less Dense Than Cork, Is Discovered

'"The planet is wider than Jupiter. But with half the mass, it is less dense than cork. In a cosmic bathtub, it would float.

"The astronomers said they were baffled about how the planet formed and how it remained so puffy.

"'The short answer is, I have no idea,' said Dimitar Sasselov, a professor of astronomy at Harvard and a member of the research team. 'It’s a very strange planet.'"

5. Pluto's new name? So cold. I want a recount!In most articles I've read about astronomers discovering something new, they always seem so excited about the naming process. In a job that is so scientific, maybe it's one of the most creative aspects of it. And it's not every day that one gets to name something that will last almost forever (until it gets demoted).Dwarf Planet, Cause of Strife, Gains 'the Perfect Name'

"Pluto, now that it is no longer a planet, has been assigned number
134340 in the catalog of minor planets. In 1999, the Minor Planet
Center at the astronomical union proposed assigning Pluto the number
10000 in the same catalog, to give it dual citizenship as both a planet
and a member of the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy debris beyond Neptune.
Brian Marsden, director of the center, said the number was meant as
special recognition for Pluto, but he withdrew the idea after protests
from people who saw it as a demotion."

September 10, 2006

I'm learning so much about MySpace all in a few days. The power of the Internet — too much information about everything!

It appears that a MySpace user, whose account has recently been deleted, was caught plagiarizing posts from some of the most famous mommy and daddy bloggers around. The 18-year-old plagiarizer from Las Vegas somehow found a way to pass off the original, personal stories of MetroDad — a 37-year-old Korean father from New York City — as her own.

Yes, MySpace is great for bands promoting their music and for visitors to hear a bunch of music easily, but I have to say, I don't really understand the MySpace scene. Almost everyone I know on MySpace is under 30, and they post items and images of themselves that would make most people blush. (But apparently not those on MySpace.)

I used to have a diary when I was 8 years old that had a combination lock on it. A combination lock. I remember how lucky I felt to have a combination lock on my diary, as I did not want my parents or 6-year-old brother to read about how much I loved The Chronicles of Narnia, that I wanted to be Uhura from Star Trek (see photo) when I grew up, and that Close Encounters of the Third Kind was the best movie ever. I could safely record my deepest 8-year-old thoughts and dreams each night before I went to bed because of that combination lock. After hearing that little click and giving the lock a quick tug, I confidently placed it on my bed-side table, said goodnight to my photo of Uhura, turned off my lamp, and fell fast asleep.

I realized when I was 10 that I could open the lock if I tugged hard enough on it, but I was just happy that I didn't know that when I was 8.

Hello and welcome!

My name is Kristin Gorski. I recently earned my doctorate (EdD) in instructional technology and media. My research focuses on technology and literacies, writing in digital spaces, and how media literacy may support academic literacy (among other incredibly interesting topics). On occasion, I’m also a freelance writer and editor. “Write now is good.” is my personal blog about writing, creativity and inspiration (with healthy doses of technology in relevant places). I started it in blogging's heyday (2006) and still post to it, time permitting. If you'd like to collaborate on a project, have writing/technology/creativity info to share, or want to say, "Hi," contact me at kgwritenow (at) yahoo dot com.
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